"The Arc4life Pillow has helped many patients with neck pain, numbness and tingling, weakness in the extremities. Knowing how to use it effectively is important." — Arc4life Pillow Experts
The 2 Key Components of This Pillow If you look at this picture above, notice the two sides of the pillow. You have a neck roll on one side (the top part of the pillow) and you have a part where there is a "V" coming out at you. Do you see the V at the bottom of this pillow?
Each of these components make the Arc4life Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow (aka Arc4life Traction Pillow) very unique.
- The Neck Roll Side - Gives Your Neck Support.
- The V Side - Gives your neck a gentle stretch or "traction"
See below for Dr.Bellinger's video for further clarification on how to use this neck pillow and the 2 key components:
How to Use the Pillow When You First Get it Home
First look at the pillow and familiarize yourself with the two sides that we have mentioned above.
Know that you can sleep on either side.
Which side you sleep with will depend on a few things.
If you suffer from neck pain, headaches, stiffness, numbness and tingling, or weakness in the upper extremity, the traction side will be most therapeutically beneficial for you.
If you are looking for a support roll pillow, use the support side.
If you have a lot of sensitivity in the neck area, start with the support side. It is gentler and softer to use.
You can Use this Pillow for Sleeping and ONE MORE THING
Use it During the Day and at Night (in different ways)
Naturally, one would think that the only way to use this pillow is for sleep. Yes, this is the main way to use the pillow. However, we have a lot of Dr's who recommend this pillow to their patients to use it in the beginning just for traction. This involves laying on the pillow for 10-25 minutes to achieve a gentle neck stretch. The patient is recommended to lay on the traction v part of the pillow during the day, and to sleep on the opposite side of the pillow. This works well for patients who have a lot of neck pain.
Getting used to using a new pillow might take some time
You can sleep on your side or on your back.
For those patient who suffer from neck pain or who have a lot of sensitivity in their cervical spines, getting used to this pillow might take some time. We always compare this is working out at the gym. When using the arc4life traction pillow, you will be using different neck muscles - muscles that you may not be used to getting stretched. Just like working out a new muscle group at the gym, you might experience some muscle spasms or pain with using this pillow for the first few days. Keep in mind that this is normal.
How to get Accustomed to the Two Sides of the Pillow
The neck roll side of the pillow is gentler and softer than the traction side of the pillow. For someone starting for the first time using this pillow, we would recommend that you start with the neck roll side.
Don't feel that you have to sleep with the pillow the whole night thru from the very beginning. Slowly get used to it. Start by sleeping on the pillow for about 15 minutes. Let your neck muscles get used to it and relax as much as you can. Then put the pillow away and use what you normally use. The next night, use the pillow for 20-30 minutes. Same thing - relax and allow your neck muscles to get used to the new pillow. The next night, try for one hour and go from there. You can sleep on your side or on your back.
The Traction V Side **May** be hard to get used to (for Some).
As we noted previously, using the support side of the pillow will be easier in the beginning for most patients.
However, lets say you have a very painful neck condition, and you really want to get some relief. Especially from something like a herniated disc, bulging disc or neck arthritis.
Use the Arc4life traction pillow as a traction unit. Set a timer for 10 minutes to start. Lay on the traction V side for 10 minutes on your back. This is similar to using a traction unit such as the posture pump or over the door neck traction unit. The next time you do neck traction, lay on the V side of the pillow for 15 minutes.
Doing neck traction everyday when you have a neck condition can provide a tremendous amount of pain relief.
"I have used the Arc4life Chiropractic Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow (large) for only a week and most of my neck pain has vanished. Another result has been an improvement in flexibility because I can move my head farther to the right and left." — Tom Robertson (October 2015)
Finished Pillow Dimensions of the 3 sizes
I need specific help with my neck condition and choosing the right product...
Well there is a solution for that. Arc4life has customer service available to help you decide which pillow is best for you. Whether its the arc4life pillow or another pillow altogether. Their customer service # is 1-800-605-7079. There are 2 dedicated pillow specialists who can help you. If they are not available, they will call you back during normal business hours. Just leave your name, number or email address. Customer service turnaround time is pretty quick.
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